Counter



1943- E. M. SORENSEN 2,328,304

COUNTER Filed June 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l H Ew.1

Mouse eauaanroa EDWARD M. Boatustu by0\.) Q 0\] Mtornuga 1943- E. M. SORENSEN 2,328,304

COUNTER Filed Jun 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invmtr EDWARD M. SORENSEN u Q 9&1 2

Mtorn 01s Patented Aug. 31 1943 i 1 2,328,304 COUNTER 1 Edward Sorensen, Dayton, phioyra 'ssignor to; v V

The Soren Corporation, Dayton-,Ohio, a corpe-ration of Delaware Application June 10, 1941, SerialNo."39-'7,416f j zcnim (or. 235-432) This invention relates to counter mechanism,

and which is particularly adaptable as a counter in connection with bomb release controls.

i It is the object of the invention toprovide a control for obtaining the release at-timed intervals of a predetermined number of bombs at a predetermined rate. during train bombing.

This is particularly useful The instant invention is par'ticularl'y directed v to counter mechanism and the regulation and control thereof, and is of general utility in addition to being particularly adaptable to bombing control mechanism. 1 v v It is another object of the invention to provide an impulse generator, a counter which can be pre-set to count a given number of impulses and then bring the mechanism to rest; and additionally a control mechanism controlled by ated to. move the arm l3 of a bellcrank which is .formed of the arms. lSxa-nd l4 and is pivoted atv l5. This bellcrank is moved bythe' spring the counter, such as abomb release control, a A

conveyor control, or any other mechanism.

One of the primary featuresjof this invention as to its mechanism of executiomisto provide an indicating counter'vvheel 'of minimum weight,

stance, with the arrangement of this invention,

it is possible to accurately have forty actuations and so designed and operated that the: weight .thereof will have the minimum of inertia efi'ect 'upon the operation of the mechanism. For inand therefore forty releases per second. While this is not a limitation of the operation of the invention, yet it is indicative of its accomplishments and possibilities. As the speeds of aircraft increase, the accuracy and frequency of release per second, in order to give a given bomb spacing, must increase.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the front of a control panel having the ground speed, spacing, ,counter and circuit-closing control mechanisms on its face.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the dial face of Figure 1 so far as that portionis concerned other than the counter, an impulse in' Figure 4.

Figure '6, is a side elevation of the counter mechanism from the reverse side of thatshown Referring to the drawings in detail, l is a panel on which is mounted a spacing control dial 2, a ground speed dial .3, a .switch closing buttonto initiate the operation, designatedizfl and the counter drum of'this invention, 'general ly designated 5, consisting of a knurled wheel 6 and an indicating dial! on which aremount which in this instance 7 ed. suitable. indications, runfrom :zero to 49.

An impulse generator of, any desired type is housed within the box, asat' 8.. Leads-9 and 10 from this generator areiconnectednthrough-a solenoid coil ll, having a core I2 which is actul6 anchored-at ll.

The nose 2 0 of the pawl? the, finger'Zl that actuates a microswitch, 25.

connected in circuit' with the leads 9,10 andgth'e 3 .coil 1 l; forbreaking the circuit. The; bell'crank .le vei; I {is provided with a finger 26 engaging the'switch arm.2l for actuating a microswitch 28.. Thi's switch 'cont'rols"the leads 2B and 30,

which are connected by a solenoid ,coil .3 I. have ing ,a core 32 connected to a finger33'that, in

turnQa'ctuates the bomb release control, or any V otherequivalent mechanism.

generator, a counter setter and control mecha- H nisin and release control mechanism. This arrangement is particularly adaptable to bomb release controls.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of another adaptation of this invention in connection with the conveyor and mechanisms carried thereby to be counted.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of .the counter.

mechanism. 7 Figure 5 is a top plan view thereof, partially in section.

Counter mechanism" construction and operation Specifically referring to Figures '2, 4, 5" andj fi, i the mechanism i as follows. The framework upon which thismechanism is mounted consists. of. a plate 34, havingspaced depending ears 351 which act as a pivotal support for the pivot l5 of the bellcrank'havingthe arms. is, and 14. This plate 34 is provided with a pair of spaced- "arms designated 36 and 37. These arms carry the indicating counter wheel mechanism in the i following manner: The supporting axle 38 is' mounted in the respective side arms 36 and 31.

It is prevented from turning by a plate, 39 integral with one end of the. shaft 38, which/engages with an attaching screw 40 onthe arm 3]; -This prevents. rotation of the shaft 38; it also serves to retain it in positio On the end'ofthe bellcrank is a spring-actuated pawl l8, moved by a spring .l9 connected to the pawl andto the end of the .bellcrank lever lt V v, I engages with a series of, ratchet teeth, 2l;. ona drum 22 of the counter. On the drum 5 of this counter, on the opposit side face from side-face 22, isv mounted a. stud 23 i which engages with D in the flange 5|.

Mounted on this axle 38 is a partially threaded sleeve 4|, terminating in an enlarged head 42. Mounted on this head 42 is the ratchet 22. The sleeve 4| has a smooth portion 43, on which freely rotates the hub 44 of the drum5 that carries the indications 1. This drum is made minimum weight so as to avoid any material inertia efiect during the operation of the device. It is therefore constructed of the hub 44, the 'rim portion and an intercormecting thin web 45a. This web is provided With a small stud 46 and a spring 7 finger 41, which engages with a ball 43 operating in an opening 49 through the web 4511.

the flange 5| of a member that has a hub '52 threaded upon the threads 53-of'th'e sleeve 4|.

This is locked in position by the lock-nut 54.

This ball is pressed into a series of recesses carried in Therefore, in operation (see Figure 6) you set to the hub 52 and flange 5| that engages with.

the ball 48. In this manner the drum :5'turns with the actuating mechanism the numberzof steps for which it has been set, until the stud 23 actuates the switchlever 24, opening the microswitch 25 and bringing the mechanisrri'to rest; 7

I the belt to.

,i8 and 19 by the stud 23'.

the leads 9 and ID of the counter mechanism as described in connection with Figure 2.

In the event it is desired to have, a larger number of articles counted than is possible by the counter heretofore described, there is added a typical counter of the Veeder-Root type designated diagrammatically at H, which has an indicating dial 12 and is provided with a limit sWitCh T-i, which in w n is connected by the leads T4 and T5 to thedriving mechanism for This Veeder-Root counter is actuated through a star wheel 16, shaft 71 and gears The star wheel 16 is actuated through an angular distance represented by one notch on-the wheel every time the stud 23 strikes the wheel and engages the respective notches.

The counter H is therefore actuated through a predetermined distance for each notch movement of the star Wheel and can add up by any counting increments desired, de-

- pending on the typeof counter.

A novel feature of the arrangement is that you can set the counter drum 5 to any fraction of -A spring detent is used in order to prevent backward movement of the ratchet 22 during its actuation. In order to adjust the stroke of the pawl 18, the side member 36 carries an adjustable stud 5B movable in the slot 5'! in the sidearm 36. This stud is arranged to engage the nose 20 I of the pawl l8 "to limit the extension of its up ward stroke, and therefore limit the movement of the ratchet 22 under the impulse of the pawl Mounted on the side arm 31' is a pair of spaced studs 58 and 59 which project on either side of the switch arm 24 so as to limit its movement in either direction. ,This is useful in that if you are 'actuating'stud 23 will cometo'rest against the switch arm"24. Likewise it provides a stop at the limit ,of the drum 5, an almost EGO-degree turn of the wheel being made possible by the particular location of the switch arm 24. After the manual setting of the device and when electrical operation is taking place, the switch arm 24 serves as a limiting means for the stud 23". The stud 23' strikes the-switch ,arm 24 to break con- ,tact of the switch 25. V

, Conveyor application As a typical commercial application of the principles of this invention, Figure 3 illustrates the application of the. idea for controlling various types of mechanism, such as a conveyor belt 60 on which a series of conveyed articles is mounted. As these articles interrupt a light beam from the light 62, through the aperture 53 and the box (54, they interrupt the effect of the lightupon a photoelectric cellii5 and abox into which light enters through the: opening 61.

"This cell is connected by the leads 68 and 69110 an amplifier -19, which is'in turn, connected to .moving the drum 5 clockwise, in Figure 4, the

its indication, suchas 26'steps, and you can set the Veeder-Root counter .to, for instance 500 steps or articles, and the number over 500, i. e. 25, will'be first run off on the counter andthereafter the 500 will be run oil on the Veeder-Root mechanism so that whenthe 526th of the articles 6! has caused the 526thimpulse, the conveyor .will be brought to rest, or some other operation will be controlled or initiated. It is apparent that if the counter l were moved in the clockwise direction (Fig. 4) through-twenty-six spaces, the counter would have to be moved in the opposite direction through these twenty-six spaces until the stud 23 would contact the star wheel 16. Thus the Veeder-Root counter H would not be operated at'all until the counter I had been returned to its initial position and. therefore had moved in the opposite direction by means of the pawl l8.from the direction in which it hadbeen moved to the pre-setposition. After the stud 23' has engaged one of the notches of the star .wheel it, no further engagement would be caused until the stud 23' had madeqa full BSD-degree movement, at which time the starwheel would be given an additional movement. These segmental movements of the star wheel-may be added or accumulated at the Veeder-Root counter until perhaps as many as 500 revolutions of the counter i are indicated at the counter II. There is a-mechanical connection (not shown), of well known'type, between the indicating element of the counter H and'the switch 13, and this connection may be so controlled that when the counter H has reached a predetermined number,

for example 500, the switchl? will automatically be opened. If the counter '1' had been pre-set to'the number 26, and assuming that the counter H were adjusted to open the circuit '13 when the counter H indicated 500 movements, then the limit switch 13 would be opened actually when,

the counter 1 had moved through its twenty-six spaces and in addition had made as many complete revolutions as would have caused the counter "H to indicate the number 500. H For instance, a light may be lit, a filling mechanism started, or any other numerous visual electrical,

mechanical or pneumatic operation initiated.

It will be understood that I desireto comprehend within my inventionsuch modifications as come Within the scope of the claims and the invention.

v 2,328,304 Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by' Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, an impulse generator, a

combined counter and control device including a movable member, an electromagnet periodically energized by said generator, mechanism' actuated by said electromagnet including an armature for operating said member, means in-. cluding a stud on said member forrendering the impulse generator inoperative at a predetermined 'point in the travel-of said'member, and means secured to said armature for controlling an ex-e terior control circuit in accordance with the impulses delivered by said generator.

a movable member, an electromagnet periodically energized-by said generator, a bellcrank andac o tuating-pawl 'moved by said electromagnet at each impulse and adapted to rotate said member,

means including a stud securedto said member: h for rendering the impulse, generator inoperativef at a predetermined point in the travel of said member, andmeans secured to said bellcrank for controlling an exterior controlcircuitinaccordance with'the-periodic movement of said lever caused 'by, the impulse energy of said generator. 5

EDWARD M. soRENsEN,

2. Inf combination, an impulse generator, a; combined counter and control devicefincluding 

